Identification of D-Gal and Gal/GalNac Terminal Sugars in Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Skin

authors:

avatar Mohammad reza Arab 1 , * , avatar Hossein Ahmadi 2 , avatar Fereydoon Sargolzaei Aval 1 , avatar M Karimi 3 , avatar Mosayeb Shahriyar 4

Dept. of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Zahedan, Iran.
General Practitioner, MD
Dept. of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences andHealthServices, Zahedan, Iran.
Dept. of Internal Mediccine, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Zahedan, Iran.
Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: Vol.9, issue 1; e94820
published online: February 17, 2007
article type: Research Article
received: January 02, 2006
accepted: January 21, 2007

how to cite: Arab M R, Ahmadi H, Sargolzaei Aval F , Karimi M, Shahriyar M. Identification of D-Gal and Gal/GalNac Terminal Sugars in Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Skin. Zahedan J Res Med Sci. 2007;9(1):e94820. 

Abstract

Background: Basal and squamous cell carcinomas comprise 90% of all skin malignancies. Cell
surface and extracellular glycoconjugates change in neoplastic cells along with morphological
changes of cancer cells. In many cases of malignant diseases, these changes of terminal sugars are
responsible for invasive and metastatic properties of cancer cells. Recent studies have shown that
the reaction of cancer cells change to lectins in course of neoplastic changes. The aim of the
present study was to identify D-Gal and Gal/GalNac in basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the
skin.
Material and Methods: In this descriptive study paraffin blocks of a total number of 20 patients
(10 SCC and 10 BCC) were selected from pathology file of Khatam Al Anbia hospital in Zahedan.
After confirmation of previous diagnosis, from each block 4 sections were prepared and stained by
WGA and PNA/Alcian blue (pH=2.5). After staining, sections were studied blindly by two persons.
Histopathological reports were prepared according to staining intensity and the location of
reaction to lectins.
Results: Brown precipitate in cell and extracellular matrix were recognized as positive
reaction. The presence of Gal/GalNac terminal sugar was confirmed by PNA lectin in squamous
cell carcinoma of the skin. The nuclei of cancer cells did not react to lectin. Cancer cells in Basal
cell carcinoma did not react to WGA lectin for D-Gal terminal sugar either. The presence of D-Gal
was confirmed in basal cell carcinoma. Neoplastic cells in squamous cell carcinoma did not react
to WGA.
Conclusion: It seems that in neoplastic changes, terminal sugars of glycoconjugate change with
different patterns in skin malignancies, so that PNA lectin is a good marker for SCC and WGA for
BCC.

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References

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